Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[3Z3VH]

Ok, let me start off by asking my question, then I will geek out.

I am looking to start guitar lessons here in a month or so, and am looking for something to be my first guitar.  Now, so far I have no idea how to choose one for tone, because I don't even know the chords.  Either way, I went to the local Guitar Center and probably ended up pissing off the salesperson because I ended up pulling each and every guitar off the wall in turn to see how they felt in my hand.  I was most comfortable holding the Gibson SG series guitars.  The thin body, and tapered fret just felt really nice in my hands, and the neck seemed to be just the right length and thickness for my hands.  The Stratocasters, Les Pauls, etc all just didn't feel right...  So is there any reason I should avoid the SG as my first guitar ?  I have no idea what sort of music I will eventually be playing, but right now, I am looking for a teacher to train me in music types along the lines of Smashing Pumpkins, U2, Pearl Jam, and Belly (All very different styles, I know).  So is the SG going to limit me in its lack of diversity due to being such a thin, mahogany body, or will my ears not have the tonal range to worry about it anyway, seeing as I am just starting out ?

Ok, now for the little school girl in me...  Two of the guitars that I pulled off the wall and fiddled with, were the Gibson SG Diablo, and the newer Gibson SG that tunes itself (I don't remember its name).  The one that tunes itself was just plain awesome for the gadget geek in me.  I just imagine the magic of it kind of wears off after a while.  Now the Diablo... holy criminy !  If there was any guitar in that store that just felt RIGHT while I was holding it... it was THAT guitar.  I honestly think I drooled a little, but I didn't let it fall on the finish, so don't worry.  Now, before anyone yells at me, don't worry, I already know that both the Diablo and the self-tuning one are way too pricey for my first guitar.  I don't mind spending up to $700 since I am not really the starving artist or anything, but $2000 is a bit ridiculous.  Maybe one day when I actually now how to treat it, I may get one.

So what do you guys think, is an SG just an incredibly stupid idea for my first guitar ?  If it is, are there any out there with approximately the same feel that would be better ?

[MadassAlex]

Gibson SGs of any kind are beyond awesome. No reason not to get one as long as you dig the feel.

[Lummer]

What he said..

[Thrillho]

SGs are a great first guitar becuase they're tiny, light and have thin necks that are easy to play. Neck joints can be weak, though.

[valley_parade]

If you want the SG vibe, I'd either go with one of the Faded SGs, or even an Epiphone G-400.

By all means, stay away from the Robot guitars THEY ARE PURE EVIL.

[october1983]

The Epiphone G-400s are remarkably good for the price - my first electric guitar was one, and once I'd had it set up good god it played like a dream. I still regret selling that guitar to this day.

So, yeah, if you're just starting out and would rather not spend a fortune on your first guitar, you could do significantly worse than a G-400.

[valley_parade]

To add onto that, my friend's got a G-400 that he put '57 Classics into, and he swears it sounds better than his Gibson SG Standard.

[bbqrocks]

Both of the guitarists in my bands had Gibson SG specials, which were cool. But then one of them stopped playing his and the other sold it and bought a Dean....

[ampersandwitch]

the newer Gibson SG that tunes itself

 

[imapiratearg]

...the other sold it and bought a Dean....

FAIL

[bbqrocks]

Exactly our thoughts...It doesn't fit with the image of the band at all, so we make him play this old squier that we found, or his shitty epiphone.

He also dyed his hair black and started wearing eyeliner.

[orangepeas]

He also dyed his hair black and started wearing eyeliner.

i think he is having an identity crisis

[LittleKey]

sounds like an emo problem ^^^^. but yeah, i really don't know anything about guitars, i'd say listen to the other people and get an sg.

[Xaris3514]

sold it and bought a Dean....

Hey, my bass is a Dean and I love the thing.... Granted I will never dye my hair jet black and guyliner was a stupid idea BEFORE the emos started using it. Also granted that my bass is an entry level Edge 09.

[Thrillho]

Exactly our thoughts...It doesn't fit with the image of the band at all, so we make him play this old squier that we found, or his shitty epiphone.

*sigh*

[bbqrocks]

I get that sigh, but the image wasn't the only problem (Even if I accidentally made it sound like that).

[Thrillho]

Please do explain.

'Cause you know, unless there was a really good reason, I'd probably quit any band that told me I was playing the wrong guitar. You may as well just say they're the wrong kind of person.

[bbqrocks]

It sounded different from the SG he had been playing, somehow. But basically, the reason we were so pissed at him (even though we weren't that pissed) was because we had advised him to buy a strat or something similiar, and at the time he agreed with us...Then ran off and bought a spiky dean. And took every opportunity to rub it in our faces, kinda.

[IronOxide]

the newer Gibson SG that tunes itself

 

[ampersandwitch]

Yeah what the hell, it is taking the musicianship out of being a musician.  Kind of cool technically, but when has ear training ever hurt a guy

[Thrillho]

It sounded different from the SG he had been playing, somehow. But basically, the reason we were so pissed at him (even though we weren't that pissed) was because we had advised him to buy a strat or something similiar, and at the time he agreed with us...Then ran off and bought a spiky dean. And took every opportunity to rub it in our faces, kinda.

Well it sounds like he did kinda pull a fast one on you. But even so, it's his choice in the end.

[bbqrocks]

It is his choice, yeah. But he is my friend I have known basically all my life, so we are allowed to bitch a lot at each other.

[3Z3VH]

Ok, so an SG it is... what is the best I could do for around $700 (guitar only) ?  I saw one SG that had 3 pickups (the SG Special Faded 3), is that really necessary ?  What is the benefit/drawback ?  Aside from that, I am looking at a used SG Menace, or the Faded SG Special.  Any others I should look at ?

Thanks for the input so far !

[Xaris3514]

I doubt you need to pay $700 for your starter guitar, especially considering that you'll need an amp as well. I'm extremely satisfied with my bass and it only cost me $215 for it, the amp, a gig bag and a tuner.

[3Z3VH]

I am not so concerned with the cost, as I am about making sure it will be something I want to play.

Even with computers, I have noticed... if you give someone a computer that does what they need, but doesn't look pretty, they are much less likely to use it than the one that looks nice.

Same deal here.  If the guitar doesn't feel right, or sounds poor, I know I will be much less likely to stick with it and won't want to play all the time.  I also won't feel as guilty for not playing if I got a cheap one

The way I see it, this will be my first guitar, and should stay with me till I die, so I'd rather have something I can appreciate.

[Xaris3514]

I understand what you're saying, but $700 seems a bit much, especially considering that that's before an amp which will cost quite a bit. Again, I have a cheap entry level bass that would have cost me $130 without the amp. It also happens that the amp is only thing I'm not satisfied with because its a small piece of crap that came packaged with my guitar.

Epiphone makes cheaper SGs if that's the guitar you want. They are probably ideal for entry level if you're willing to spend an extra buck, but still cheaper than going all out on your first guitar.

[valley_parade]

Might even be able to find one of the Elitist G-400s on eBay. Those were pretty high-end for Epiphone. I think they went for $800 new.

[3Z3VH]

My point was kind of that $700 for me isn't "going all out"

Going all out for me would be getting the SG Diablo for 3x the price of my current budget.

I also plan to buy a smaller amp, since the only place I will really be playing is in my house, since I won't be doing any gigs any time soon, so the amp will not cost much at all.

[ledhendrix]

A decent amp will make all the difference quite a lot of the time. Granted there is a lot to do with the guitar, but if you don't get a good amp then the guitar is worth shit.

[Samsara]

Stay away from Gibson/Fender. You need to spend a hell of a lot to get a decent one Seriously, they're almost as bad rip-offs as PRSes. They *are* nice guitars, but there's no way in hell they're worth what they charge for them., I'd definitely recommend a Yamaha for a first guitar. Gretches are nice also.

[ampersandwitch]

The way I see it, this will be my first guitar, and should stay with me till I die, so I'd rather have something I can appreciate.

I thought the point was to get a cheap guitar, a 'student model,' if you will, so if you decide that guitar isn't right for you, you can just get rid of it like that rather than looking for some idiot to buy it off of you.   

[MadassAlex]

Stay away from Gibson/Fender. You need to spend a hell of a lot to get a decent one Seriously, they're almost as bad rip-offs as PRSes.

Gretches are nice also.

HRRRRK.

[Harun]

SG = Guittara del Diablo

hardly

[Xaris3514]

SG = Guittara del Diablo

hardly

Why am I suddenly reminded of BC Rich designs?

[Spluff]

Because the person who makes those 'guitars' used to be one of the main guys at BC Rich.

[valley_parade]

Gretches are nice also.

HRRRRK.

\
I don't think that's a bad deal at $530.

[onewheelwizzard]

I thought this topic was going to be about Minarik Guitars.

[3Z3VH]

SG = Guittara del Diablo

hardly

I never said SGs = Guitara del Diablo.  The topic was due to the Gibson SG Diablo guitar I mentioned.

Don't modify a quote to make it look like someone said something they didn't.

[Harun]

3Z3VH, I did read your original post, and I am aware that Gibson makes that guitar. I also never said that you said that SGs = Guitarra del Diablo, nor did I modify your post. I was merely referring to the fact that you named the thread "Guitarra del Diablo," and that in your original post you discussed the SG. Don't call the wahmbulance over a papercut.


Also, some first guitar advice: Getting a Gibson for a first guitar is a mistake unless you're completely sure that you are going to be playing that guitar forever. Stick with something within your price range , and if you know that you will be playing until you start getting arthritis, you will have plenty of time to get the guitar of your dreams.

[Nodaisho]

Harun, that Epi costs as much as a faded special gibson SG. One of the more expensive ones would be a mistake, I would agree, though it breaks my heart to ever call a cherry sunburst les paul a mistake, but the cheapest SG can be found for around that much, MSRP is 1300, but you can find them cheaper. I think Pat had one for sale for 600, don't know if he is still selling now that he has his jag.

[3Z3VH]

Well, I got a call today, and the price was right, so I am now the proud owner of a "Barely Used" Gibson SG Faded Special in Cherry wood finish.

I had a couple people looking for SGs in my area, and believe it or not, this one got sold to Guitar Center, of all places... I went up to check it out, and the thing was practically new.  No scratches ANYWHERE, only a very slight fading where the previous owner held the neck, and the strings were dirty in the normal fingering positions.  Not a bad deal at $520, so I got an "OK" 30W Peavey Amp, a cable, and a guitar bag, and walked out of there only $700 poorer.

Only thing is now I am finding it very difficult to type from the blisters on the ends of my fingers.  Damn me for having soft hands

Pictures will follow when I take some ! (of the guitar, not the blisters)

[Thrillho]

I almost bought a deliciously ugly looking Ibanez the other day.